Gas-engine starter.



G. L. ODENBRETT. GAS ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. z5, 1909.

945,245. Patented Jan.4, 1910.

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GAS ENGINE STARTER. APPLIOATION FILED MAB.. 25, 1909.

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GEORGE L. ODENBEET'T, 0E MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

eriiis-EivenvE STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Application mea March 25', i909. seriai'No. 485,636.

To all 'whoml 'ifinay comer/ri:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. ODENBRE'IT, residing in Milwaukee, inthecounty of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have inventedl new anduseful Improvements in lGras-Engine Starters, of which the following 'isa description, reference being had to the accompan ing. drawings, whichare a part of this speci cation.

This invention-has for its object to provide an improved valve mechanismfor use with gas engine starters such as covered by Letters Patentissued to `me on October 13,

1908, No. 892,544, such valve mechanism bev proper admixture is formedand start theY ving designed to'accomplish the successive steps in theoperation of the engine starter by the application 'of pressure to aplunger kiby means ofthe foot or otherwise so as to quickly accomplish'the starting operation without requiring the driver to manipulate aseriesAof hand valves.

Theimprovements covered by this invention consist of avalve constructionto be operated by the pressure of the foot on a plunger to first open acharging tank containing gas under pressure to the proper cylinder oftheengine through a selecting valve and then by further pressure to opena connection from a compressed air reservoir to said charging tank, 'sothat theair under pressure will drive the gas before' it into the propercylinder of the engine and there become mixed with it to explode whenthe envine in operation.

'theinvention consists in the gas engine starter herein claimed, itsparts and combi- '1t-4 of Fi thereof;

nations of parts and all equivalents.

' Referring/tothel accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the different views; Figure 1 isaplan view of a gasengine starter constructed in accordance with thisinvention and mounted on an automobile frame, with the valveconstructionpartly in section andy -551 sectional view thereof on the "plane ofyline 0. 3; Fig. 5 is a front elevation una, Fig. 6 is a transversesectional with checkwalvcs K, K2, Ks an With/theabove and other objectsin viewl view through one barrel thereof on the plane" of line 6--6 ofFig. 4.

In these drawings, A, A represent a multiple cylinder engine, as hereshown there 6u being four cylinders in all, arranged vertically at' thefront or boot ofthe automobile frame as usual, and B 4is an acetylenedi' other gas reservoir and C-a com ressed air reservoir securedto thesides of tiie automobile frame, D being a charging tank in any desirablelocation and likewise secured to lthe frame. A hand valve` E `isprovided within convenient ieach of the driver, preferably on the dashboardand controls communication between a pipe F leading from the gastank B and a pipe F leading to the charging tank B. 'A valveconstruction E" controls communication between a pipe G leadin from theair reservoir C and a pipe G leaing to the charging tank B and alsobetween a pipe HA leading from the charging tank D and a pipe H leadingto a selecting valve I, which .is desirably secured at the `front partof the automobile frame as shown. The selecting valve I has pipes J1,J2,.J3 and J4I leading therefrom at different. positions on itsdisk-shaped head to the explosion chambers of the respective cylindersof the engine, these pipes being i-ovided ranged to prevent a flowtherethrough from the cylinder toward the selecting valve.

The crank shaft M of the engine has a pinion N thereon which .is earedto a sprocket wheel O by means o a chain P, said sprocket wheel O being4mounted on a shaft Q, which is journaled inthe casing of thev selectingvalve I with a disk-shaped valve member R rigidly but adjiistablysecured thereon. The disk valve R is thus rotated by the engine at aspeed which' will causeit to make one revolution with each tworevolutions of the crank shaft, the pinion N and theV sprocket wheel Obeing so' proportioned, and serves to control communication between thepipe H which connects with the space on onesi de thereof, and the pipes'J, J2, J and J* which connect with 4the casing on the other sidethereof, by

. the piston is in position to receive an explosion and the it ofthedisk valve withintne casing is sufici'ently close to preventcommunication between the pipe H and any of which theopening S is not inreglster.

The valve construction E constituting the improvement -of the presentinvention over the hand valves of the former devicecomprises a valvecasing adapted for attachment to the frame of the vehicle at anyconvenient place, preferably at the dash board, and is provided with apair oi' parallel tubes o r barrels. 11 which project forwardly to formguides for a pair vof spring pressed plunger valves. The bore throughthe barrels 11 and the casing changes in diameter to form valve seatsupon which the conical shoulders of the enlarged rear ends of valvestems ly and 13 fit tol normally close composed that when the valves ofthe valve portions to munication between the ment of the val-ve Ith :jing ca municat-on between pipe connections 14 and 15 on one side ofthedevice and pipe connections 16 and 17 on the other side of the delvice,each pairof pipe vconnections being dison opposite sides ofthe valveseats so areclosed there is no communicationbetween them.

The -valve stems are reduced in size ahead permit of free comrespectivepi econnections Awhen the valves are-unseated The valve stems arenormally held closed by meansof coil springs 18 contained Within eirrear ends which are made tubular for thispurpose, said springs bearingagainst hollow plugs 19 which are threaded 1n the rear of the casing,there being a short rod 20 Within each spring to limitthe inwardmoverod. At the front ends of the barrels 1l they are provided With'bushs 21'to prevent the leakage of compresse -air or gas around the,lvalve stems-and the front end ofthe valve stem 13 has mount- .ed on ita plunger head 22. by means of which y tion of the movement it may be`forced -against the pressure of its lts valve lupon the first por.

said plunger'head extending into the line of the valve stem 12 spring toopen 4 with a guide 23 thereonfitting around the its valv'e'agai Vhead.From 5' 24 extendsforwardly and 'up through lts end within plain sighnects with the p 6ov h -nects with the pi Ithe pipe connection valvestem 12 and adapted to engagesaid valve stem 12 nst the pressure of itsspring er movement of the plunger the4 pipe connection 16 a pipe a crosse barrels 11 where it has gage 26 mounted onv t of the driver. The pipeH from the charging tank D also conipe connection 16 containing t e gageconnection while'the pipe H conpe connection 17 and the plpe G from theair reservoir connects with .14 while lthe pipe G leading to thecharging tank D connects with upon a furth piece between th an upstandngpressure t 1e pipeegnnection l.

and force it to move to open4 13 so as to allow ervoir topass throughsaid,valve 13 and the pipe H to the proper ,cylinder of the engine,ils-determined by the position of the. selecting valve I, and when thepressure gage indicates that this has been accomplished he presses withgreater force. on the plunger i head 22 to cause the other valve 12 toopen and thereby open the connection from the' compressed air reservoirC through pipes Gr.'

from which and G to the charging tank D the air passes through pipe Handthe open valve 13 and the pipe H into said cylinder where it mixes withthe gas forced before it and, as the ignition device is ybeingoperation, as soon as the proper mixture of air and gas is attained itexplodes and starts the engine in operation. The removal of the footfrom the plunger head restores the valveparts. to their normal closedpositions i ready for the next starting operation.

l -What I claim as my invention is:

1. A starter for multiple to establish com- Vkept in' cylmder gasenmunication with the respective cylindersv of v l gmes, comprising aselecting valve driven by the engine when their pistons are in positiontoreceive an explosion', a charging chamber communicatingair reservoirand a gas reservoir communicating with the charging chamber,' a con- ,ltrollingl valve in the connection between the i gas reservoir andthecharging a double valve havin which when partially operated serves toopen one `valve member'to open the coml munication between the chargingchamber and the selecting valve and which operating member when furtheroperated serves to open another valve member to open the com- Imunicaton between the charging chamber. t 2. A. starter for multi lgines, comprising a selecting valve driven by chamber, and g anoperating member air'reservoir and the v v 115.

are. imposition rging chamber with the selecting valve, an

communicating with the selecting valve, an.

cating with the charging chamber, a con- I. troll'ng valve in theconnection between the -gas reservoir and the charging chamber, a. gageconnected with the charging'ch-amber to Indicate the pressure therein,and a double ch when partially4 yvalve having a plunger Whi operatedserves to open one valve member air reservoir and a gasreservoir"communi-v to open the communication lbetween the Ychargingchamber and the selecting valve gines,'compris`ing a selecting valvedriven by the engine and adapted to establish communication with therespective cylinders of the engine when their pistons are in position fto receive an explosion, a charging chamber communicating'with theselecting va 'e, an air reservoir and a gas reservoir communieatingwiththe charging chamber, a controlling valve in the connection betweenthe gas i reservoir and the charging chamber, a gage connected with thecharging chamber to indicate the pressure therein, and a double l valve,comprising a casing having a pair ofrparallel barrels with bores ofditi'erent diameters to form valve seats therein, valve stems slidablymounted inthe bores ofthe barrels and having shoulders forming valves toit on the valve seats, pipe connections for each barrel on oppositesides of the valve seat, the pipe connections for one valve beingconnected to the terminals of the communication between the chargingchamber l and the selecting valve and the p ipe connections of the othervalve being connected with the terminals of the communication 'betweenthe air reservoir and the charging chamber,i

springs for holding the valves normally closed, and a plunger head onthe stem of the valve in the communication between the charging chamberand the selecting valve for opening the valve. of said communication bya partial movement thereof and adapted to engage the other valve stem toopen the valve in the communication between the air reservoir andthecharging chamber with a -lurther movement thereot.

fl. A starter for multiple cylinder gas engines, comprising a selectingvalve driven by the engine and adapted to establish communication withthe respective cylinders of the engine when their pistons are in ositionto receive an explosion, a charging c amber communicating with theselecting valve, an

air reservoir and a gas reservoir co unicating with the chargingchamber, a lcontrolling valve in the connection between the gasreservoir and the charging chamber, a gage connected with the chargingchamber to indicate the pressure therein', and a double valve,comprising a casing having a pair of parallel barrels with bores ofdifferent diameters to forni valve seats therein, valve stems slidablymounted in the bores of the barrelsv and having shoulders forming valvesto fit on the valve seats and being tubular at their enlarged rear ends,coil springs seated in the tubular ends of the valve stems, screw plugsthreaded in the ends of the barrels and forming bearings for the spring,rods contained in the springs to limit the movements of the valve'stems, rei on opposite sides of the valve seat, the pipe connections forone valve being connected to the terminals of the communication betweenthe charging chamber and the selectingvalve and the pipe connections ofthe other valve being connected with the terminals of the communicationbetween the air reservoir and the charging chamber, packing glandsbetween the ends of the barrels and the valve stems, a plunger' head onthe stem of the valve in the communication between the charging chamberand the se'- lecting valve for opening the valve of said ipe connectionsfor each bar-V communication by a partial movement thereof, and a guideon the plunger head for the othervalve stem, said plunger head beingadapted to engage said other valve stem to open the valve in thecommunication between the air reservoir and. the charging chamber with`a further movement of the

